Some Nova Scotia beaches may go unsupervised because of lifeguard shortage
A potential shortage of lifeguards on Nova Scotia's beaches this summer is being attributed in part to training gaps caused by the pandemic.
Paul D'Eon, director of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service, said Thursday that two years of training was essentially lost for young swimmers as a result of COVID-19 restrictions that closed beaches and municipal pools.
"We've been proactive trying to train people, but we are still scrambling," he said in an interview. He said some beaches may have to close if enough trained lifeguards can't be found.
It's not just on Nova Scotia beaches that lifeguard chairs risk being left empty, D'Eon added. "It is not a unique problem," he said. "It's all across North America."
Barbara Byers, a national senior research officer with the Lifesaving Society Canada's Ontario office, said the challenges in finding lifeguards is not a new phenomenon.
"There had been a shortage prior to COVID-19, but the situation has sort of been amplified since things have been opening up again," said Byers, whose organization develops lifeguarding standards and training courses for municipalities.
She said while lifeguarding is not unique in its staffing problems as the country emerges from COVID-19 restrictions, the situation is unlike that faced by restaurants and other businesses, because lifeguard training has to be updated every two years.
She said some swimming programs will likely be affected by a lack of supervision. "I think municipalities are doing everything they can to make this (training) happen as soon as possible, but it is a challenge," said Byers.
With Nova Scotia's beaches set to open July 1, the service currently has six unfilled positions, D'Eon said. The service supervises 25 beaches and hires between 80 and 90 lifeguards and instructors across the province.
He added that when a beach is closed due to a lack of supervision, swimming is still allowed but at people's own risk. "If we need to close some sites, we will probably pick the least dangerous and places where we have made the least rescues," he said.
The service is reaching out to swim teams to try to fill the remaining lifeguard positions. "I'm saying you come work for me, we will pay for and do all the training and certify you," D'Eon said.
His organization is also open to looking at what lifeguards are paid in order to entice more people into the ranks. He said the funding for salaries comes through various municipal, provincial and federal contracts.
"I might go back to my funders and say the minimum wage is going up, the competition in other industries is going up and we need to push this (wages) up," said D'Eon.
As it is, he said lifeguards employed by the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service are unionized and can get 40 hours or more of work from July 1 to Aug. 31. D'Eon said the base rate for a beginner lifeguard is between $14.79 and $16.91.
"Hopefully we'll be able to solve this (shortage) at least for this year," he said. "I think it's going to get better because we are making a special effort to get people trained."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.